1.6: OSHA Standards
- Page ID
- 63115
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OSHA standards are rules that describe the methods employers are legally required to follow to protect their workers from hazards. Before OSHA can issue a standard, it must go through a very extensive and lengthy process that includes substantial public engagement, notice and comment. The agency must show that a significant risk to workers exists and that there are feasible measures employers can take to protect their workers.
OSHA’s Construction, General Industry, Maritime and Agriculture standards protect workers from a wide range of serious hazards. Examples of standards include requirements for employers to:
• provide fall protection;
• prevent trenching cave-ins;
• prevent exposure to some infectious diseases;
• ensure the safety of workers who enter confined spaces;
• prevent exposure to harmful chemicals;
• put guards on dangerous machines;
• provide respirators or other safety equipment; and
• provide training for certain dangerous jobs in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.
Employers must also comply with the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act. This clause requires employers to keep their workplaces free of serious recognized hazards and is generally cited when no specific OSHA standard applies to the hazard.